Cards’ Diaz now on disabled list

Aledmys Diaz’s cranky right shoulder led the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday to place the Cuban shortstop on the Texas League’s seven-day disabled list, although Diaz could miss more than a week.

The injury is classified as a mild shoulder strain, but a recent MRI showed no structural damage, Double-A Springfield manager Mike Shildt said.

Diaz was signed in mid-March to a four-year, major-league contract reportedly worth $8 million. He was assigned to Springfield but did not play in the season’s first three games because the organization preferred to ease him in.

“It’s really a very positive thing ultimately. You have to figure that this guy hadn’t played in 18 months, got back and was real aggressive,” Shildt said, meaning the organization is encouraged that the strain was detected this early in the season.

“It just affects his ability to be consistent and feel strong,” Shildt later added. “Factoring in, we still have four months of the season left. So he’s on the DL, seven days. How long it’ll be? We don’t know.”

Diaz was in St. Louis on Tuesday but expected to return to Springfield this week. He was batting .307 (23-for-75) with three home runs, five doubles, a triple and 16 RBIs.

However, he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the sixth inning of Saturday’s win at Arkansas. Diaz was batting as the designated hitter that night.